The top of a building
by 98RockAngel
Summary: What happens when you love someone so much but they keep hurting you. Is the pain and emotional abuse worth being loved for 5 seconds? What happens when you give up and stop being the doormat? Will he run after you and get you back or watch you leave?


**A/N** **Hey all. I am a first time fan fictioner. I do not intend any plagiarism and I deeply apologise for it if there be any. There are some reference to quotes however. And I do not own the characters. :,(**

**The timeline is basically, Maxwell and Fran have fought and she cant take it anymore when he takes back one more thing. So she leaves. He rushes to get her back . Tell me if you want the fight and the scenes leading to this cause I wrote it but just did not uload it. :) Happy readings.**

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** CHAPTER 1**

Fran stood on the top of the Eiffel tower. She sighed and looked down at the streets. _"Wow, Mr. Sheffield the view from up here is breathtaking. You can see the city from up here. Standing up here I feel so insignificant. You know? Its like just being one of a thousand." Maxwell looked at her as she seemed to be memorizing every detail of the most romantic city." Miss Fine, believe me you are NOT insignificant. You are indeed one in a million. You are like a precious jewel and I am so lucky just to have you in my presence, " he stated in a matter of fact manner._ Fran smiled at the memory. That was the only time where Mr. Sheffield had truly been completely relaxed and honest with her. It was in Paris where he told her he loved her. Then the next part of her memory came flashing back against her will.

_ Miss Fine, we need to talk about Paris. You know what its like when you face a near death situation and you randomly blurt things out? "Nope", Fran replied blissfully unaware of what Maxwell was implying. "Well you see Miss Fine, when we were up there I thought we were going to die, that why I said I loved you." Those words pierced through her soul. She felt like every fibber in her body was being ripped apart. She could not let Mr. Sheffield see how much it actually hurt so when he asked if he had hurt her, she nonchalantly replied "Nope." She had never cried so much in her life that night when she taught no one heard her. But the all knowing Niles did._

Maxwell Sheffield, how can you be my knight in shining armor yet the reason for the teardrops on my pillow, she said to no one in particular . Miss Fine stared at the sunset thinking of the first time she realized she had fallen in love with him.

It had been at her camp reunion when she was suppose to go with someone else but had been stood up. Mr. Sheffield had come to her rescue . She still remembered the touch of his hands on her waist as they swayed to the music, dancing as they were the only one on that dance floor. They felt their heart beating as one and their eyes did all the talking. Both of them were enjoying each others presence as they held on tightly to one another . She especially remembered the look of her arch nemesis Judy Silverman's face when she saw her with the drop dead gorgeous Maxwell Sheffield.

After all that playing with her emotions she was still clueless of her standing with her boss. She could not have a relationship without him sabotaging it and ruining it for her. But deep down she knew she was equally to be blamed. She would always love the uptight-unemotional-British-idiot Maxwell Sheffield.

Well Maxwell Sheffield today I am letting you go. Miss Fine slowly took off her shoes and sat on the railings of the tall building. Miss Fine! Screamed Maxwell noticing her dangerous position on the building. And here comes my knight in shining armor, she whispered to herself before saying our loud " Ya know Mr. Sheffield, I knew you were going to come. Telling Niles anything would be like publishing it in the newspaper." " Miss Fine what are you doing up there?" he asked with panic in his voice. " Letting you go. I get that you want to mourn over your perfect little Sara all your life. I can't compete with a ghost Maxwell. Its no use fighting for you just to notice me. All I am to you is just a your little plaything. I refuse to be your coat and just be picked up when you need me. Surely I deserve more?" " Yes you do Miss Fine….. Fran. In your absence I have come to realize how much I love you and need you. Don't leave me he pleaded with her. " Can you really say you love me without feeling any guilt? Can you really 100% give me your whole heart? " Maxwell hesitated for a second that was enough an answer for Fran. " I thought so. That is why I am letting you go. I love you so much it hurts Maxwell. Do you know what its like to wake up every morning and have to go to ridiculous extremes just to get you to notice me? Every time you lead me on than take it back shatters my heart. Do you know how much pain loving you comes with? I can't continue loving someone and know they will never love me for me but for what I have done. But I can't stop loving you, Maxwell. I tried my best but I love you more everyday, till one day I found the paradox for love, if you love till it hurts, there can be no more hurt just love. Love is not a switch you switch on and off. I can't stop loving you and you love Sara, Maxwell. That is why I'll never tell you to stop loving, you see, I believe in hopeless love. I believe in it with all my heart .For real love brings pain . Real love means sacrifices and hurts like all the thousand shocks of live . But it also means beauty. True beauty. So I will let you go. I don't want to hold you back Maxwell. You do not need me.

Fran looked back at Maxwell, she stared hard at him memorizing all of his details. She looked at him from his toned, sun kissed legs all the way to his muscular arms and right up to his full head of hair with an immiscible streak of grey hair that she had taken pride in creating. Next, she looked at his worried expression. She imagined his expression changing from a worried one to an angry one to a smiling one and finally back to a worried one. She gazed lovingly into his forest green eyes.

He gazed into her warm brown eyes. Maxwell noticed that a fire that had been in her eyes had reduced to only an ember. He also noticed her eyes also had a touch of pain , regret and love. For a split second Maxwell, gazed at her truly taking in her beauty illuminated by the moonlight. The millisecond was enough of a distraction. Miss Fine knew this was her time. She could finally break free from the captives of Maxwell Sheffield. She could finally stop hurting, she could be at peace and let him go to. She knew that she was pushing him to do something he could not and never would. His heart belong to Sara and it was no use staying around and being his play thing. The kids did not need her anymore with the littlest Sheffield graduating school this summer. That was when she jumped.

Maxwell felt Miss Fine break free of his grip. He felt her push him. He saw her jump. Maxwell acted quickly. He jumped forward reaching out to catch her, any part of her was good enough as long as she did not die. No, not like this not because of him. He reached out as far as he could and to his luck he caught something. Something extremely cold and rough. It felt heavy and firm. Maxwell willed himself to open his eyes.

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** CHAPTER 2 **

That moment when Fran jumped she felt at peace. She saw Maxwell, The children, her best friend Val, her mother and fathers face flash in front of her. She felt like a bird free soaring through the wind. She felt a huge weight being rolled of her shoulders. She felt calm and could breathe after a long time. Suddenly her flight was cut short. Something had stopped her. She felt something warm grab ahold of her. She looked up and saw Maxwell Sheffield slowly opening his eyes and breathing a sigh of relief seeing what he managed to catch. Yet again Maxwell was holding her back. Yet again he was cutting off her wings and not letting go. When would this cat and mouse game end, she taught to herself.

Maxwell saw what he had caught. Miss Fine's wrist. He noticed her once smooth alabaster skin was now covered in large purple scars. Had he caused her this much sorrow? Did loving him really come with this much pain? He knew that his trusty butler Niles told him that Miss Fine cried herself to sleep and that a person could only take so much rejection and pain, but had he really gone that far? He replayed the last four years she had been working with him. He remembered the first time he told her he loved her, " and then you took it back," Miss Fine's unique nasal voice echoed in his mind. He remembered her going out with a guy for him just so he could get him to star in his play, he remembered belittling her and screaming at her when it really was not her fault, he remembered proposing to her just to make his mother angry, he remembered joining her on her cruise just to make sure she did not meet someone and get married, he remembered ruining her chances with every man she got just so she would not leave and lastly he remembered kissing her and taking it back right before she left. " Good grieve! The amount of emotional torture I have put her through and she still stayed with me for four years. It's a wonder why I did not drive her to an asylum sooner," for the second time in Maxwell's life he felt an emotion he never wanted to feel- regret. The first being the time he passed Cats on to Andrew Lloyd Webber. Feeling Miss Fine swaying in the wind brought him back to reality. Out of no where a strong gust of wind blew.

Fran felt the wind blowing through her hair. She felt the cold breeze slowly lifting her up. Just like the time Mr. Sheffield had , when she had injured her ankle. "_Ouch! Mr. Sheffield, I think I hurt my ankle," "You know Miss Fine, I think its swollen. I'll get you to bed first," and with a swift motion he lifted Miss Fine up effortlessly. "Don't worry Miss Fine, I've got you," he said while lifting her. " Boy, do you ever ," had been her reply. Miss Fine snapped out of her reverie._

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** CHAPTER 3 **

"Miss Fine, I am so glad you are back," said Mr. Sheffield. " Is that you or the bottle of Dom Perigonome taking?" she questioned. "Its Dom Perignon Miss Fine. And I am truly happy that you are back," he said while tenderly kissing her hand. And then Miss Fine's world went black. She did not hear the police sirens, crowds talking, reporters or even Maxwell's scream. She was gone dead to the world. Finally free with no obligations or a care left. She had let him go and now he had to too.

"Miss Fine!" Maxwell screamed. The gust of wind was so strong it had snatched Miss fine away from him. The one thing he loved and treasured was once again taken away from him. Maxwell shot down the stairs in hopes of finding her still alive waiting for him like he always assumed she would. He heart was in his mouth when he saw the amount of paramedics around her. The worse thing was they were all just standing there not doing anything. He pushed passed them and rushed to her side. He saw her neck bent at and unnatural angle and her arms folded behind her. There was blood everywhere. He looked at her face that oddly had a smile on it. It almost looked as if she was at ease and just by the looks of her face, she seemed serene . Maxwell lifted her palm and kissed it while stroking her check . It has started raining and a few flashes of lightning was seen. Maxwell looked at her and said " She loves me with a love that sees no flaws, finds no fault, knows no bounds. Oh God, please don't let her hurt so badly and please never, never let me love like that again.


End file.
